Canada being the most popular destination for Indians is the most sought after country for student visa by the Indian students. Many aspiring youngsters apply for the study visa to Canada through their visa consultants which is the recommended way to proceed. If you happen to reach the reliable and honest visa agent then you are the fortunate one and will not get cheated but if you fall into the trap of the unethical ones then it is clearly your bad luck. Therefore, it is must that you choose your visa consultant sagaciously. Let us know the steps involved in the visa application process:
- The initial step in the student visa journey is to choose the course or program to pursue in a reputed university so that the future outcome is prosperity. It is extremely crucial that it is done after a detailed analysis of all the available options. The student visa consultant play a very important role here as he or she is the right person to explain about the pros and cons of the chosen field and university along with suggesting the program which has great potential as per the employment sector.
- After the above step, the next stage is getting all the documents ready including the proof of funds available to cover the tuition fee, living cost, health insurance etc. If you do not have enough funds then there is a provision of getting the student education loan from a trusted and registered firm or bank. A good visa consultant will be able to help in this regard as well as they are aware of the trusted and honest loan providers.
- Now, the aspirant needs to have the evidence to prove the proficiency in the English language which is the primary language of Canada and an international language as well. For this, you need to take the test of IELTS and score overall 6.0 bands with 6 bands in each of the four modules as well which are Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking.
- As soon as you have the scores of IELTS your consultant will apply to the chosen university or college to get the admission offer letter which is a must to apply for the study visa. This is very important and should be done with care. All your documents should be attached with the application form along with a well written Statement of Purpose (SOP). Although SOP is not mandatory at every place but all the good and reputed educational places prefer that. Although it is generally free of cost but there might be an application fee charged by the university for this which is completely their call. If it is there, then you will have to pay that before submission of the application.
- Post submission of the application, you have to wait to receive the offer letter. The moment you have it you need to get the GIC account opened which works as a security. Then your student visa consultant will apply for your study visa to the embassy by filling the form and attaching all the important documents in an organized manner for the visa officer to go through the details. There is an application fee that is to be paid here to the embassy for the application to get processed.
- Also, you need to get your biometric verification done by paying the fee for that and reaching the embassy to get it done, this is valid for 10 years.
- Sometimes the applicant gets interviewed by the visa officer after the above step and then you just need to wait for the application to get accepted and visa granted.
- Besides that, if you wish to take your spouse or any other dependent family member along with yourself to Canada for the time you study there, you can do that too. They need to apply for the dependent visa or spouse visa and he or she will be allowed to work or study there as well. The fee for this application must also be paid to the embassy. It is different for a normal work permit (limited employers) and open work permit which permits employment under any valid employer.
Below is the estimated cost for the student visa application which could give you an idea about the visa filing cost which is not the part of the fee you pay to the university for enrolment (tuition fee+living cost+health insurance+ any other fee):
| Estimation of Student Visa Application Cost – Canada | |
| University Application Fee | If Applicable |
| Study Permit (study visa)Application Fee | 150 Canadian Dollars |
| Biometric Fee (valid for 10 years) | 85 Canadian Dollars |
| Spouse Visa | Dependent Work Permit : 100 Canadian Dollars + Dependent Open Work Permit: 155 Canadian Dollars |
| Acceptable Modes of Payment | Visa/Master, credit/debit card accepting international payments |